Department for Transport

Railways: Northallerton

Lord Jopling: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the expected journey times of passengers between London and Northallerton for (1) the existing train service, and (2) the proposed HS2 service using average proposed transfer times for changing trains.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Comparing fastest journey times, the existing train service between London and Northallerton is 2 hours 24 minutes, and under HS2 would be 1 hour 53 minutes assuming an average 10 minute interchange at York.

Electric Vehicles

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 17 November (HL 3036), what measures they plan to take to encourage the provision of public charge points for electric vehicles in residential areas where there is a predominance of flats or terraced houses and parking provision is confined to public roads.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: In October 2016 the Office for Low Emission Vehicles announced a £2.5m grant scheme to support the installation of chargepoints on public streets in residential areas where motorists do not have off-street parking. Applications will open to local authorities in the coming weeks. This scheme will complement the existing Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme, which gives eligible plug-in vehicle drivers up to £500 off the costs of installation of a dedicated domestic chargepoint in a driveway or garage. This grant is available to electric vehicle owners who live in flats, as long as there is dedicated parking space.

Cycling: Greater London

Lord Borwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made an assessment of the number of cyclists regularly using lanes of London's roads intended for other traffic where an alternative route via a cycle lane or cycle superhighway is available.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: No. This is a matter for the Mayor of London and for individual London boroughs.

Pedicabs

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they have made to ensure the safety of passengers who use rickshaws as a means of travel.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Pedicabs (or rickshaws) in England outside London are regulated by the local licensing authority. Pedicabs in London are currently unregulated. We are working towards introducing legislation which will enable Transport for London to regulate them.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Scaffolding: Timber

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what, if any, estimate they have made of the amount of virgin timber and plywood sheeting used for the cosmetic cladding of scaffolding; and what legal requirements regulate the use of such wood in this way.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: Government has not made any estimate of the quantities of materials used for the cosmetic cladding of scaffolds.There are no legislative requirements with regards to the cosmetic use for cladding scaffolding. Where plywood sheeting is used for other purposes, health & safety, planning and highways legislation may be applicable.

Right to Buy Scheme: Housing Associations

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect Right to Buy to be available to housing association tenants.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: We remain committed to the Voluntary Right to Buy for housing association tenants. The Government is continuing to work closely with the National Housing Federation and the housing association sector on the implementation of the main scheme and will announce more details in due course.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme

Baroness Featherstone: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether green gas from marginal grassland will be included in, or excluded from, the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive scheme; and what is the rationale for that decision.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is targeted at, but not limited to, homes off the gas grid. The technologies supported by the scheme include biomass boilers, air source and ground source heat pumps and solar thermal. Green gas from marginal grassland would be used to fuel biogas combustion. Biogas combustion is not supported under the domestic RHI because the scheme is targeted at single domestic properties where the use of biogas combustion would be less suitable.

Energy: Competition

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many customers have switched their energy provider in the last five years.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Data is published by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on switching. The data is collected by Ofgem and republished by BEIS in Table 2.7.1 of which can be found online (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/quarterly-domestic-energy-switching-statistics ). Multiple switches made by the same customer in each year are counted as separate switches.YearNumber of electricity switchesNumber of gas switches20114,206,0003,270,00020123,342,0002,280,00020133,425,0002,190,00020143,058,0002,281,00020153,396,0002,709,000



Quarterly domestic energy switching statistics
(Excel SpreadSheet, 225 KB)

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Embassies: Demonstrations

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 9 November (HL2740), whether they consider that the remarks by the Foreign Secretary in the House of Commons on 11 October set a precedent; and whether they have considered possible adverse consequences for British Embassy staff if foreign governments encourage demonstrations outside UK embassies overseas.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson)'s words reflected overwhelming concern at Russia's actions in Syria which are contributing to the violence in that country. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office takes the security of all staff overseas very seriously, in line with duty of care obligations, and regularly reviews security at missions overseas including when there are demonstrations outside of our premises.

Northern Ireland Office

Belfast Agreement

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Dunlop on 15 November (HL2983), whether parity of esteem applies only to individuals, and not to communities.

Lord Dunlop: As I have previously explained to the Noble Lord, this Government understands the concept of parity of esteem, as set out in the 1998 Belfast Agreement, as relating to and placing a general obligation on the UK Government to treat people of different traditions or communities in Northern Ireland fairly and with equal respect. The Belfast Agreement makes no distinction between communities and individuals.

Parades Commission

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Dunlop on 31 October (HL2454), whether the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland has the ability to make reference to human rights instruments such as the European Convention on Human Rights when making decisions.

Lord Dunlop: As a public authority, the Parades Commission has general obligations under public law; the discharge of those obligations is an operational matter for the Parades Commission, acting independently of Government. The Parades Commission determinations make regular reference to the European Convention on Human Rights. Details of all determinations are published on the Commission’s website at www.paradescommission.org.

Department for International Development

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of reports by the World Food Programme and other aid agencies that millions of Yemenis are dependent on aid and half the population faces starvation, what plans they have to support the removal of the Saudi Arabian blockade of Yemen.

Lord Bates: There is no blockade in Yemen, although measures are in place to prevent the flow of arms into Yemen in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2216. The Government continues to lobby all parties to facilitate rapid, safe and unhindered commercial and humanitarian access.DFID is funding the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism (UNVIM) to speed up the clearance process for shipments of essential food and fuel to Yemen. We are also funding the World Food Programme and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to deliver food and treat severe malnutrition. In 2015/16, UK aid provided food aid, cash and vouchers to over 700,000 Yemenis.

China: Overseas Aid

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the report by the Independent Commission for Aid Impact When aid relationships change: DfID's approach to managing exit and transition in its development partnerships, how much UK development assistance was spent in China in each year since 2011; and what is the explanation for the funding in each area of activity.

Lord Bates: The UK closed its China bilateral country aid programme in March 2011. Since 2011 DFID has retained a team in Beijing to work with China on a global development partnership. The partnership focuses on China’s development impact in developing countries in Asia and Africa, and global issues, such as international public health. As China is not the primary beneficiary of this assistance the China Global Partnership Programme is not classified as aid to China.UK bilateral aid spending benefitting China is set out in the National Statistics publication Statistics on International Development (SIDS). The table below shows the latest published data. The UK Government spends Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) in China to maximise UK-China trade and promote shared prosperity. This includes the cross-Whitehall Prosperity Fund which provided UK expertise and financing to 400 projects from 2011 to 2016 and the Newton Fund which funds UK-China research and innovation on global issues.  20112012201320142015Total Bilateral Aid40,46127,187-17,971*-33,601*44,641Imputed UK Share of Core Multilateral Funding to China31,03222,45321,6399,753No dataUK Bilateral and Imputed Multilateral ODA to China £,000 (SIDS 2016)* repayments on loans made by the Commonwealth Development Corporation count as negatives for net ODA.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Voluntary Work: Young People

Lord Stunell: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to safeguard the future funding of small scale deliverers of the National Citizen Service when establishing its Royal Charter.

Lord Ashton of Hyde: The National Citizen Service (NCS) Bill and accompanying Royal Charter are designed to give the NCS Trust a new legal framework. Under the charter, the NCS Trust will have the freedom to determine its own contracting arrangements with delivery partners to achieve its objectives. Government will hold the NCS Trust to account for the outcomes it delivers.

Home Office

Peers: Correspondence

Lord Balfe: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what policy the Home Office applies in respect of responding to letters from Members of the House of Lords.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office follows Cabinet Office guidance on handling correspondence from Members of Parliament, Members of the House of Lords, MEPs and members of devolved bodies. This guidance can be found on the Gov.uk. website entitled “handling government correspondence guidance”.

Immigration

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the five principles for building a post-Brexit immigration policy set out by the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The government will provide strong and proven leadership as Britain begins its negotiations to leave the European Union and forge a new role for ourselves in the world.We will work hard to get the right deal: one that is unique to Britain and not an ‘off the shelf’ solution - and make Britain a country that truly works not just for a privileged few, but for everybody. This must mean controls on the numbers of people who come to Britain from Europe - but also a positive outcome for those who wish to trade in goods and services.We are not going to provide a running commentary on every twist and turn of these negotiations. You don’t start a negotiation by telling the people you are negotiating with exactly what you plan to do. That approach won’t help us get the right deal for Britain.

Interpol: Russia

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have evidence of abuse of Interpol procedures by Russia; and if so, what action they plan to take, if any.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Interpol has an independent review body, the Commission for the Control of Files, which seeks to ensure that the processing of personal information by Interpol is in compliance with Interpol's regulations. This minimises scope for abuse of Interpol procedures, and we are not aware of successful abuse of Interpol procedures that are outside of the organisation's framework by any member country.

Child Sexual Abuse Independent Panel Inquiry

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the contractual entitlement of Dame Lowell Goddard for the provision of accommodation in London in return for chairing the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse; what property was acquired or leased for her; and what is the continuing cost of any contract or lease entered into.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Details of Dame Lowell Goddard’s entitlements while she was the Chair of the Independent Inquiry are given in her terms of appointment which are published on the Inquiry’s website at https://www.iicsa.org.uk/key-documents/94/view/chair%27s-terms-of-appointment.pdfThe Home Office did not acquire or lease any property for Dame Lowell.



IICSA - Chair - 27s terms of appointment 
(PDF Document, 6.02 MB)

Amalgamated Plantations: India

The Earl of Listowel: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the World Bank report on unsafe working conditions and the use of child labour on plantations run by Amalgamated Plantations Private Limited, whether they intend to investigate the extent to which tea from those plantations is being sold in the UK or otherwise distributed by UK companies.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government believes that businesses and consumers have a key role to play in eradicating all forms of labour exploitation, including modern slavery, from global supply chains.The Modern Slavery Act 2015 requires all commercial organisations with an annual turnover of £36m or more, operating in the UK, to set out what steps they have taken to ensure that there is no modern slavery in their business or supply chains. The Government is unable to comment on individual companies.

Cabinet Office

Immigration

Baroness Wolf of Dulwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, with respect to estimated net migration figures for 2014 and 2015, what number are estimated to be (1) EU domiciled students, (2) non-EU domiciled students, (3) non-student EU domiciled, and (4) non-student, non-EU domiciled.

Baroness Wolf of Dulwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what number of non-EU domiciled students obtained work visas at the end of their studies in (1) 2014, and (2) 2015.

Baroness Wolf of Dulwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the text of the questions used in the International Passenger Survey.

Baroness Wolf of Dulwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what basis confidence intervals for responses to the International Passenger Survey are calculated.

Baroness Wolf of Dulwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any study of possible sampling bias has been conducted in relation to the International Passenger Survey.

Baroness Wolf of Dulwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to improve the accuracy of net migration figures for 2016 and in future years.

Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.Immigrants who have come to the UK to work have brought significant benefits to Britain – we are a tolerant, welcoming nation encouraging the brightest and best to come to our shores. That will always be the case.But it’s clear that there is no consent in Britain for uncontrolled migration from Europe.



UKSA Response to HL3257 - HL3256 - HL3255 - HL3258
(PDF Document, 160.18 KB)

Department of Health

NHS: Proof of Identity

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they support British citizens having to show identification to obtain NHS care and treatment.

Lord Prior of Brampton: We welcome trusts piloting schemes whereby they ask National Health Service patients for two forms of identification to demonstrate an individual’s residency status. This is good practice and helps establish, in a non-discriminatory way, who may be eligible for free NHS care and who may not. We will monitor the impact that identification checks have, including the effect on costs identified and recovered from people not eligible for free NHS care.